SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., March 27, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Virgin America, the new California-based airline dedicated to reinventing domestic air travel and making flying good again, today announced the appointment of Diana Walke as Vice President of Planning and Sales. An industry veteran, Walke will lead all aspects of the start-up carrier's network plan and sales portfolio.
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"Diana brings an incredible wealth of experience in sales and distribution, revenue management, marketing and network planning," said Virgin America President and Chief Executive Officer David Cush. "Her breadth of knowledge and enthusiasm will play a critical role in shaping Virgin America as we continue to expand aggressively and grow into a major, national carrier."
Walke joins Virgin America following her most recent position as the Managing Director for Capacity Planning - Network Development at American Airlines. Prior to that, Walke held Director level leadership posts at American, overseeing some major portfolios including: Onboard Products; Sales Planning and Analysis; Revenue Management - Alliance Programs; and International Planning.
Walke began her career as an analyst for pricing and yield management development. She holds a Masters of Business Administration in Marketing from The University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Mathematics from The Pennsylvania State University.
Launched in August 2007, Virgin America currently flies to seven cities with daily flights from: SFO to LAX, SFO to JFK, SFO to SAN, SFO to IAD, SFO to LAS, LAX to JFK, LAX to IAD and now SFO to SEA. In addition to these non-stop markets, Virgin America also offers convenient connecting flights from Las Vegas, San Diego, and Seattle to New York and Washington.
About Virgin America:
As San Francisco's hometown airline, Virgin America will serve as many as 10 cities within a year of operation, and up to 30 cities within five years. Virgin America's base of operations is San Francisco International Airport's ultra-modern, spacious and convenient International Terminal. The airline's new Airbus A320-family aircraft offer guests interactive in-flight entertainment systems, power outlets for laptops and other electronic gear near every seat and a host of other innovative features aimed at making flying good again. In Zagat's 2007 Global Airlines Survey of frequent fliers, the airline was ranked #1 among domestic carriers for quality in First Class and #2 among domestic carriers for quality in Main Cabin. To learn more, visit: www.virginamerica.com
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